Mad Girl Eats Private Island Nitrogen Ice Cream in Orlando

Private Island Ice Cream, 14650 Gatorland Dr, Orlando, FL.

Entertainment, Science, and sweet ice cream. How much better could that get?! Throw in homemade ingredients, that’s how! Private Island Ice Cream has it all. With a plethora of flavor combos to choose from, the ice cream is made from scratch right in front of your eyes with liquid nitrogen at a subzero temp of -321 degrees F. Private Island (formerly Pure Magic) was the first in Florida to introduce liquid nitrogen ice cream back in 2007.

I ordered chocolate ice cream and added in their homemade caramel and M&Ms. It is pretty interesting to watch this liquid being whisked and squirted with nitrogen, whisked some more, a bit more nitrogen, thickening….adding the goodies, and WALLA! This sweet, richly decadent, extreme flavor, hardened and made to perfection. You order a cup and receive a generous amount of ice cream. Super heavy, intense, did I say rich? Yep, very rich. Wow, just wow. Nice experience.

Located across the street from Gatorland on South Orange Blossom Trail, in the Hunter’s Creek neighborhood.

Hours: Sunday – Thursday 1:00pm to 9:00pm, Friday – Saturday 1:00pm to 10:00pm.

http: privateislandicecream.com

4.75 out of 5 very cool treat points.

Mad Girl Eats Oblivion in Orlando

Oblivion Taproom, 5101 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL.

After reading about this place from a myriad of sources I totally respect, I took the leap of faith and went to a “taproom”. I thought I may feel out-of-place, but bravely I sauntered in and was warmly welcomed into a funky, cool, punk rock, edgy atmosphere. I am cool, but none of the rest..ok, maybe a hint of artistic funk. It was nothing and everything I expected.

First off, the staff is completely amazing. Everyone from the Hostess, to the Servers, and the Manager that checked on my table were on-point. The décor was awesome, (the tables were far apart which I appreciate) you just felt special being there. There is a nice sized dining area, a bar, and an area with pool tables and darts in the back. They are known for their burgers, notably, The Hog Wild which seems to rate on many “Best Of” lists. They have a huge Beer list and also Cider list. Cray-zee!

I ordered the Hog Wild Burger, rare, with Tater Tots seasoned with Salt and Vinegar. Also, naked Chicken Wings with Teriyaki on the side and homemade Blue Cheese dressing. A beer is a must in this place, so I got a Haider Weiss…light and incredible. I highly recommend it. The superior thing about Oblivion is there are many flavor choices available to you. Peruse the menu, it tantalizes the taste buds.

Ok, the burger and wings arrive. Let us start with the wings. I like my wings naked, sauce on side if applicable, I don’t like breading. They were naked and golden, just like they had been to the beach all week. The teriyaki sauce was homemade and decadent; rich, with a slight kick. Like the majority of everything they serve, the blue cheese dressing was made from scratch as well. You could taste the pureness, so fab I dipped my salt and vinegar tater tots (done perfectly) in it and made magic! Best wings I’ve had in quite some time.

Burger up! This is not just a burger, this is a freakin’ insanity burger! It should be called Holy Hog Wild because “holy” was the first word that slipped out of my mouth with my first bite. Listen to this….house smoked pulled pork, sharp cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, fried onion straws, house bbq sauce and house smoked bacon. Oh yeah, and it is all on a half pound chuck-brisket-short rib burger and in between a delectable brioche bun. You know it is a sublime burger when you don’t want or need any condiments on it. Have mercy! This smokey sensuously meaty burger will make you cry. It will make you wanna slap somebody, and then when you have gone home, it will make you yearn to return. A carnivore’s dream.

Bliss. BLISS I SAY!

Vegetarian options are offered as well. Nice, right? Check it out. Oblivion Taproom offers its customers the best in food, drinks, rad atmosphere and staff. Damn, I am now obsessed.

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 4pm to 2am. Sunday 4pm to 12am. It’s a taproom, not a tearoom. Closed Mondays. Located just East of Downtown Orlando.

http://obliviontaproom.com

5 out of 5 perfect palate points. If you’re in Orlando and don’t eat here, you’re an idiot.

Outstanding and Easy Recipe for Candied Orange Peel

AH-MAZ-ING! If you want to do something different and interesting for use in drinks, decorative touches, or plain old fun for your sweet tooth, this recipe if easy and a goodie to have in your repertoire. The original recipe is from The Chew.

After you peel your orange…I usually cut off the ends, then cut three wide slices. Super easy to eat, and less messy. Take a paring knife to your peel and gently cut away the bitter pith from the peel. Please take it slow so you don’t cut your fingers! I then take a zip lock bag and start accumulating enough peel to make it worth my while, 5 or 6.

Step 1: Blanch the orange peel in boiling water for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water and put in a cold water bath.

Step: 2: Make Simple Syrup. 1 cup water and 1 cup white granulated sugar. Bring to boil in med saucepan, add blanched orange peel to syrup, turn down heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Carefully take out peel with tongs and gently tap off excess liquid.

Step 3: With granulated sugar in a shallow bowl, roll peel in sugar to cover. Lay peel on a plate to dry completely. Turn over so both sides get air-dried. The longer the better.

Step 4: Enjoy! They will taste like the old fashion orange slices in the candy section! Store in an air-tight container.

Highly addictive, but they are real fruit peels…so they’re healthy, right?  😉

P.S. Eating straight, too much gave me a little numb feeling in my mouth. Just to warn you.